After having hip surgery, Marc Hirschi does not expect to start racing until March
After having hip surgery, Marc Hirschi does not expect to start racing until March
As Sporza reports, Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) had surgery on his hip three weeks ago to treat a problem that has bothered him for over a year now.
As 23-year-old Swiss rider recovers from the operation, it is as of yet unclear how his early-season program will look, marking the second straight year that his hip issues have impacted his buildup to a new season.
“Three weeks ago I had hip surgery. The problem was that I didn’t have enough space in my right hip, but that problem is now gone,” Hirschi said, according to Sporza.
Hirschi said that his hip “feels better than before,” but he will continue down the road to recovery for now.
This January marks the start of Hirschi’s second year at UAE Team Emirates after he unexpectedly left the DSM organization early following a breakthrough 2020 campaign that saw him win La Flèche Wallonne and a stage at the Tour de France and land on the podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the World Championships. Hip issues derailed the beginning of his first season at UAE, delaying the start of his racing calendar. He put together a handful of strong showings on the year, landing in the top 10 at Liège and winning a stage and taking second overall at the Tour de Luxembourg, but it was not quite the year he had hoped for after his excellent 2021.
He will look to get back on track this year, but only after another delayed start to his season.
“I will only ride my first race of the season in March,” he said. “If I were to race before that, the risk and consequences of a crash would be too great.”
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